BBQ & The Art of Motorcycle Towing
10/21/06
We had originally planned to ride Saturday to an antique motorcycle rally in Luckenbach, but my riding partner showed up so late that we blew it off. The $25 entry fee helped make that decision.
We rode south starting out at about 1:30 PM. We cut through the back roads, passing the Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood. It was too early to eat so we continued on. We linked up on RR 12 , headed north, and intersected Fitzhugh Rd. We then headed west towards Johnson City.
It was a great fall day with temps in the low 80's. The last time I had been on this road it was 105°, I was out of water, and I was not real sure where I was. The current climate was much appreciated.



This part of the hill country has not seen much rain in a very long time. The landowners worry constantly about their wells going dry. At this time it is a very undeveloped section of the much sought at "Hill Country Real Estate". It still has that old time country funk. I would imagine it won't stay this way much longer.



Fitzhugh Road, at least the part in Hays County, is a poorly maintained road by Texas standards. Lot of cracks and bumps along the way. It is a good road to ride slowly and enjoy the view. Traffic is very light. We did see a few bikers.







We stopped in Johnson City and rested at the local Dairy Queen. Not a lot to this town that I could see, but we didn't really explore it. The LBJ Ranch is not too far from here. We decided to go that way on another trip. We headed south on 281 twelve miles to Blanco.



We stopped in Blanco for some que at Riley's. I always eat here when I pass through. The brisket is sublime, juicy, and flavorful. The pork ribs weighed 1/2 apiece. They had more meat than most pork chops and were moist and touched with a subtle smoke essence. The beer choice was limited, as you can see. We only had one.



We left Blanco and picked up an old one lane county road that cuts through the ranch country. It roughly follows the Little Blanco River and crosses the river multiple times. We stopped on one of the crossings to take a picture. My partner turned off his engine. He should have left the engine running. The jacket on the handlebars will soon become a tow rope.



Two bikes. One will actually start. He loving refers to his ride as the "Hardly Ableson".



We mounted to leave and he tried to start the bike. No deal. The battery was not too happy. He began jumping on the kick start to no avail. Sweat and cursing began to flow. He tried again and again. He pulled the plugs and put in a new one. No deal. He lamented that we didn't park at the top of the hill. I responded that the photo opportunity was down in the creek bed.
The shadows were beginning to lengthen and the temperature began to drop. The evil deer in the woods began stirring and planning their suicide ambush techniques. It was time to go.
He then commented that he wished we had a rope. His eyes descended the jacket tied to his handlebars.
"Let's see how tough this Bill Blass is" he proposed.
We tied one sleeve to the grab bar at the rear of the Bonnie. He wrapped the other sleeve to his bars. The Bonnie started... as always... and she pulled the ailing shovelhead up the hill effortlessly.
He turned the beast around and set off down the hill. Dropped her into gear, let out the clutch as he slammed all his weight downward, and she roared back to life.
We gathered our gear and set out for home which was about seventy miles away.
We had to fill up at the first station we saw. He left the Harley running while he filled. We then rode non-stop into Austin. He head in the closest direction to his house and I went home.
I talked with him later and he said that he had busted one of his foot pegs kick starting the bike and had to ride home with his foot sliding off every few minutes. To add to the misery the brake cylinder on the handlebar also sprung a leak. His throttle glove became soaked in brake fluid. At least he beat the cold front that soon hit the city.
All in all a fairly successful journey. The BBQ was first rate and the Triumph performed perfectly.